49ers’ primary concern: free agents Rogers, Goldson

On the first day of their offseason, 49ers cornerback Tarell Brown and safety Donte Whitner were already looking ahead to next season.

Less than 24 hours removed from playing, they were pitching. Both players were lobbying for their partners in the secondary to return to San Francisco in 2012.

Asked about his fellow cornerback, impending free agent Carlos Rogers, Brown said, “He’s a tremendous player, a tremendous competitor and a tremendous teammate. I would love to play with him next year. We have a great thing going here. We have a special team.”

Similarly, Whitner made a pitch for safety Dashon Goldson to re-sign when he becomes a free agent on March 13: “We have real good chemistry back there. Teams know when they play us, they’re going to get hit. We’re going to be physical and we’re going to get everybody lined up. Me personally, I would like to see him stay.”

Given their stellar play, re-signing Rogers and Goldson figures to be a priority after the Pro Bowl duo combined for 12 interceptions this season. Beyond their standout past performance, however, is the matter of the future schedule.

In 2012, the 49ers’ defensive backfield will be tested by a slate that includes dates against four Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks – New England’s Tom Brady, Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers, New Orleans’ Drew Brees and the Giants‘ Eli Manning. Throw in Detroit’s Matthew Stafford, and San Francisco will meet the NFL’s top five quarterbacks in passing yards from 2011, a quintet that averaged 5,065 yards or, put another way, threw for 14.4 miles.

Of course, the Niners beat Brees and Stafford this season and split two games with Manning. And they went 3-1 with heavy lifting from Rogers and Goldson, a pair who will receive salaries that far exceed the combined $3.1 million in base salary they earned in 2011.

Rogers, 30, said he’s seeking a four- or five-year deal. He’s willing to take a discount to stay in San Francisco, but also wants to get paid like a top-end cornerback. Goldson, 27, is probably seeking a similar deal after he found few suitors on the free-agent market following a disappointing 2010 season.

Can the Niners keep both? It’s possible, particularly since they could apply the franchise tag to Rogers or Goldson. The franchise tag for cornerbacks is projected to be around $10.8 million. For safeties, the tag will be about $6.4 million.

If they can retain both – or find suitable replacements – the 49ers could reprise their dominant defensive performance from 2011, in which they ranked first in rushing yards allowed (77.2 per game), second in points allowed (16.7) and fourth in total yards (308.2).

The 49ers might have had their best performance in their 20-17 overtime loss to the Giants in the NFC Championship Game. Manning, who averaged a season-low 5.4 yards per attempt, endured six sacks and 12 other hits. The Niners didn’t allow a drive of more than 31 yards on New York’s final 13 possessions.

“That’s just one of the best defenses in the league, from the first play to the last,” Manning told Sports Illustrated. “They stop the run and get pressure.”

The 49ers will return three first-team All-Pros in defensive tackle Justin Smith and inside linebackers Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman. In fact, outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks is the only free agent among the starting front seven, which is widely regarded as the NFL’s best. If Brooks departs, Aldon Smith figures to be ready to assume a full-time role after collecting 14 sacks as a pass-rushing specialist.

The only other free-agent starters from the defense are Rogers and Goldson, who both want to return. But they also want salaries reflecting their new Pro Bowl status.

“I’m thinking about this team,” Rogers said. “And this is where I want to be.”

Primary concern

In 2012, the 49ers will face the NFL’s top five quarterbacks in passing yards from 2011: Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers, New Orleans’ Drew Brees, New England’s Tom Brady, the New York Giants’ Eli Manning and Detroit’s Matthew Stafford. A by-the-numbers look at the QB quintet:

5,065: Average passing yards in 2011, a figure that would rank fourth in NFL history.

7: Super Bowl rings the QBs will have after Super Bowl XLVI, in which Manning and Brady meet.